We lay the groundwork for widespread agroforestry
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Our Story

Staffer slides protective plastic tube around hazelnut sapling as part of agroforestry research at Savanna Institute's Valley Farm, Spring Green, Wisconsin.

Demonstrating agroforestry

Since its genesis in 2013, the Savanna Institute has grown to add demonstration farms, educational programs, and research initiatives to develop more diverse, perennial agriculture. Newfound investment in nature-based climate solutions has propelled the organization’s growth and expanded what’s possible for farmers when they integrate trees and shrubs in pasture, in fields, and along waterways.

Our Mission

The Savanna Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that catalyzes the development and adoption of resilient, scalable agroforestry.

Our Vision

A multifunctional agriculture in the Midwest US based on agroforestry systems of integrated trees, crops, and livestock that fosters ecological resilience, climate stability, economic prosperity, and vibrant communities.

Our Values

We come to our work with a set of core values that informs all of our partnerships, projects, and actions. They are:

Humility

Dignity
All beings have inherent worth.

Multiple Ways of Knowing
Expertise comes in many forms. We integrate traditional ecological knowledge, observation, and scientific inquiry and welcome multiple worldviews.

Public Benefit
We have a responsibility to work together with partners towards a more diverse and resilient ecology, economy, and society for the benefit of the public good. 

Interdependence

Ecology
All life is interdependent and relies on a diverse and resilient ecology to thrive.

Diversity
Cultural diversity and biodiversity are inherently linked. Our vision for more ecological agriculture will bear fruit when a diversity of perspectives and voices are included.

Equity
Historical injustices and continued discrimination inhibit our vision from taking root. We promote equitable access to programs and resources within food and farming systems.

Our History

2013
Savanna Institute founded

The Savanna Institute was founded by a small group of volunteer board members in Illinois. As its first project, it launched the “Bulk Plant Program” to offer farmers custom orders of tree crop planting stock from select nurseries.

2014
Welcomed Keefe Keeley

Keefe Keeley joined the Savanna Institute as Executive Director, and the organization launched the Case Study Program with seven farms across three states, creating a participatory knowledge network for tree crop plantings.

2015
Held our first farm gathering

We received our first grant to study “Crop Performance, Pests, and Pollinators in Diverse Agroforestry Systems,” and held our first official farmer gathering, which grew into the Perennial Farm Gathering.

2016
Co-created land access resources

Published Inspirations for Creating a Long-Term Agricultural Lease for Agroforestry: A Workbook with Farm Commons drawing on our case studies of farmers who secured long-term access to farmland for agroforestry enterprises. We held our first workshops on silvopasture and perennial crop management.

2017
Published our first book

Kevin Wolz transitioned from his role as founding President of the Board of the Directors to become Co-Executive Director, and we published Perennial Pathways: Planting Tree Crops, a foundational handbook for farmers adopting agroforestry, with lead author Matt Wilson.

2018
Produced our first video series

Launched our first video series profiling six established Midwestern agroforestry farms. Premiered Persistence: Midwest Farmers and their Uncommon Crops, a mini-documentary by filmmaker Anders Gurda produced by the Savanna Institute and partners.

2019
Established our first demonstration farm

Launched our Apprenticeship Program, which provides on-farm learning and mentorship opportunities with experienced agroforestry farmers, and established the first alley cropping demonstration at Silverwood Agricultural Park, part of the Dane County, WI public park system. Plus, our Research and Commercialization team published the Hazelnut and Chestnut Impact Investment Plans to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for the marketplace.

2020
Established the first farm in our Spring Green Campus

Became the steward of the first of our four farms that make up the Spring Green Campus in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region. 

Partnered with the University of Illinois and Lourash Farms to establish an alley cropping demonstration at 4-H Memorial Camp in Allerton Park near Monticello, IL.

Partnered with Scott and Sandy Williams and their farmers The Rodgers Family to establish Fields Restored Demonstration Farm, which features a multi-functional riparian buffer and silvopasture experiment.

2021
Launched the Technical Service Program

Added two more farms to the Spring Green Campus, each demonstrating agroforestry in a different context and scale, and offering settings for long-term research and intensive farmer training. 

Launched our Technical Service Program to provide one-on-one farm planning support to landowners, and our Water Quality Program to focus outreach to landowners in key watersheds.

Launched our Breeding and Commercialization Programs to improve tree crops and their markets.

2022
Launched Canopy Farm Management

Spun off Canopy, a perennial farm management business and tree crop nursery serving Wisconsin and Illinois. Kevin Wolz stepped away from his role as Savanna Institute Co-Executive Director to lead Canopy as its CEO.

Established Hudson Demonstration Farm with support from NRCS in a long-term partnership with Savanna Institute-supporter Cathe Capel, which features a 20-acre windbreak and 100 acres of annual and perennial alley cropping.

Received USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant with partners The Nature Conservancy, Organic Valley, and more.

2023
Expanded our Technical Service Program

Expanded our Technical Service Program in Illinois and Wisconsin to four more states – Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan – to grow one-on-one farmer support in the region.

Launched a tree crop breeding program to improve 7 perennial crops for hardiness and profitability. We attracted the support of the Grantham Environmental Trust and Matthew Zell Family Foundation to build a team of tree crop breeders that will scale up investment in perennial crop research and development.

2024
Grew the Agroforestry Coalition

Built a coalition of 200 members representing 70 organizations from across the US to accelerate collaboration across sectors and regions – all in service of opening opportunities for the perennial farming community.

Held our first in-person Perennial Farm Gathering in 5 years to welcome farmers, chefs, students, and community leaders to share a vision for perennializing our food system.

Perennial Report

Each year, we publish an annual report — known at the Savanna Institute as the Perennial Report. Download our latest reports for a summary of our financial and program updates for the year.

2023 Perennial Report Cover
2023
Perennial Report 2022
2022
Perennial Report 2021
2021

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